Call for Proposal: Discussion Paper on Institutions and Climate Change Adaptation

Deadline: 30 September 2011. Call for proposal for a discussion paper on Role of Rural Institutions in enabling Adaptation to Climate Change, which will analyze the role of rural institutions in enabling adaptation to climate change in the agricultural sector. The paper is intended to contribute to a more profound understanding of how local rural institutional actors respond to the upheavals in livelihood systems that are being triggered by climate change.

The adverse effects of climate change will fall disproportionately on poor, resource deprived rural households. Small-scale agricultural producers are among the dominant groups in this demographic and are most vulnerable to climatic variability. Consequently, the front lines in the fight to adapt to changing climate lies with these households and the rural institutions that support them. Understanding the dynamics between these diverse institutions, how they react to upheavals in livelihood systems and their collective interactions with rural households is key to overcoming obstacles that prevent the sharing of information and resources that contribute to improved adaptive capacity. In many cases, adaptive pathways have already been developed; what is needed is investment or support for the appropriate rural institutions to incentivize producers and other market actors to change course. This document will seek to fill this knowledge gap on how rural institutions locally mediate, enable, or obstruct adaptive change, and how.

Objectives

Focused on the CCAFS Target Regions, the research will build understanding of:

- How rural institutions respond to climate-related stress, shocks, and upheavals;
- How do these institutions shape household decision-making processes and pathways to encouraging behavioural change;
- How institutional arrangements can enhance (and reduce?) the adaptive capacity of households to adopt new farming practices;
- What role rural institutions play in facilitating external support for adaptation – which institutions best leverage financial and technical support;
- How rural institutions interface with national policy to effectively implement interventions at the local level.

And then identify:

- What is working where, how, and why;
- Arrangements that best assist resource-poor households in reducing their vulnerability to climate change, disaggregated by location, gender, and other socioeconomic categories.

Proposals

Inputs for the completion of this discussion document may consist of a comprehensive review of existing literature or related case studies, or the implementation of new case studies specific to the objectives defined above. Interested groups should submit a 2-page proposal describing how they intend to approach the activity, including a brief bio of the primary authors.

Expected Outputs

- Discussion paper of maximum 25 pages
- 2 page executive summary that may be converted into a policy brief

Duration of study: October 2011 – February 2011
Budget: US$ 25,000

Milestones and timetable:

Submission of 2-page proposal - September 30th 2011
Delivery of initial draft discussion paper – December 15th 2011
Final delivery of discussion paper – February 27th 2011

We kindly invite you to submit your proposals no later than September 30, 2011 via email to c [dot] sova [at] cgiar [dot] org (Chase Sova).

Please download the full Call for Proposal down below.

tor_role_of_rural_institutions_in_enabling_adaptation.pdf